A review by spyralnode
The One That Got Away: A Novel by Charlotte Rixon

emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

'The One That Got Away' tries to do a lot, dropping a variety of difficult topics such as child abuse, alcoholism, infertility, rape and cancer. But I wasn't moved. I was equally as unimpressed with the main couple, there's a lot of words of them loving each other, caring about each other, but I'm failing to see the why on page.

There's two storylines we follow: Clara and Benjamin during their university years in Newcastle, and 20 years later, when Clara hears about a bombing in the football stadium that Benjamin frequents. 

Something Charlotte Rixon did greatly from the onset is create a sense of intrigue. We know something happens that will tear the couple apart. We don't know if Benjamin was even at the site of the bombing, or whether he was affected. Little nuggets of information are dropped that could be meaningful, or they could be a red herring. Early in their relationship, Clara has sex with another man. Benjamin doesn't tell her about his own difficulties, such as the death of his mother soon after they meet. Clara also is very jealous and suspicious of times when Benjamin isn't with her, whether he is with a female friend or with his housemates, and especially when he is watching football and getting drunk, a forever issue for them. 

And that's the thing. There are so many problems that they are facing very early on, the story focuses on that rather than the charm of their togetherness. So apart from declarations of love, I don't see the chemistry, the emotion, the feelings. They coexist rather than connect. Clara consistently says that this is the first time she enjoys sex, Benjamin fears his performance is inadequate. Clara basically forces Benjamin to get a phone and he feels constantly watched. Clara misses Benjamin after barely spending hours apart. Benjamin finds her very intense. I don't get it?

But what I do like is that I could relate to the feeling of nostalgia and what ifs, and that permeates all the layers of this book. Both characters are very much stuck in their heads, living through their memories. I am sure we have all done this, the endless bike shedding of decisions in our past, reimagining a different future for ourselves based on potential decisions we could have reached. I also enjoyed this sense of mystery, with each of them having experienced trauma and it slowly unravelling. 

I can see the author's writing quality, I just wish she had focused on fewer things and delivered them better.